Wylde At Heart
by Aquarius142
Summary: Arianna Wylde is a thief, it's as simple at that. She had never thought of herself as the 'do-gooder' type, until she is roped into helping a fellow 'master' thief, Ozan. What had started out as a simple day in Draynor turns to coming face to face with the Desert God of Destruction. Maybe things weren't as simple as she believed...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. I swear that I haven't died. My summer has been busy and I'm at a complete writer's block for Heart of the Hero. So, in the mean time, BAM! A new story. This one was inspired by the new quests in RS: Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have loved writing it. Chapter 2 is already under progress, so…yeah. That won't take too long (I hope).**

Big flakes of wet snow fell lazily by the street lamps, which had burned low in their hours since being lit. A gust of wind would blow through the streets, causing the low flames to flicker and occasionally extinguishing the weaker ones. As the flakes of snow joined others on the ground and roof tops, they instantly turned to a thick slush that made walking the streets a much more difficult task.

At this hour, though, only the Ardougne guards were out, following their set routes and bundled in thick burgundy cloaks to fight off the chill of the night. They kept their chins tucked close to their chests as icy gusts of wind blew past them. The storm kept most of the city's citizens at home around the fire. Those that had ventured into the storm, mostly the drunks who frequented the bars, had already stumbled back to their homes. The guards didn't expect to run into anyone else, besides other guards, and focused mainly on keeping themselves warm on their rounds.

Or so they thought.

Arianna Wylde moved silently down the alley way beside the Flying Horse Inn in the western end of the city. She knew the route she needed to take inside and out, and when what guards would be where. She spent a week just watching and waiting. After so much preparation, she had better know what she needed to do.

She shivered as she stood in the shadows of the alley as she waited for the guard to pass on his route. She pulled her deep navy cloak tight around her shoulders, thinking fondly back to her time in the desert months ago. She quickly shook the sunny, warm images from her thoughts as she spotted the guard's torch light. She needed to focus. Maybe once she was done here she'd trade these snow drifts for the sand dunes of Al Kharid.

The guard passed her alley, and, after waiting a few heartbeats, she dashed across the street. Her soft soled shoes made no noise as she moved across the cobble stones. She disappeared into another alley and the guard was none the wiser that there had been another soul on the street with him.

Arianna slid thorough the shadowy alley to the bank of the River Dougne that ran through Ardougne. It was frozen over, but she dared not cross over the thin layer of ice. She crept down the bank until she came to a long log that spanned the width of the river. She had watched as children crossed the log as a short cut during the day. She had even tried it herself, but never with the snow and ice. If nothing else, it'd be a learning curve for her.

She examined the layer of ice and slush that had accumulated, then glanced down to the thin ice and the freezing water below. She knew it would take too long to go to the bridge and cross there. Not only that, but the bridge was situated close to the castle and the place would be littered with guards and the king's paladins. She was sure that neither would look too kindly upon her being that close to the castle at this hour. She took a deep breath and darted across the log.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it to the opposite bank warm and dry…well dry at least.

She only had a few moments to savor her success. The next guard would be around at any moment, and with no place to hide, she was left exposed on the river bank. She scurried up the slushy bank and vaulted herself over the low fence and onto the cobblestone street. She glanced to the south and could already make out the guard's torch light.

She dashed down a narrow alley, one that was barely as wide as her shoulders. She stepped carefully through the cluttered space, not wanting to alert the passing guard of her presence. She froze as she heard the guard's footsteps and clank of armor draw near. The light passed the end of the alley and continued on its route. She pressed on.

She found the pile of old crates she had stacked up at the dead end of the alley days before. The crates definitely showed their age. They were very weathered and the 'Karamja Box Company' stamp was so worn it was barely legible. But she had tested them out and trusted that they would hold. She gracefully ascended the three wooden boxes.

As she put her weight on the top crate, a loud creak cut through the silent, snowy night.

Arianna froze mid-climb. Her heart hammered against her breastbone. She glanced back to the end of the alley way, expecting to find a guard coming toward her.

She took a deep breath, realizing that wasn't the case, easing her nerves.

"Relax," she said to herself softly and climbed on the last crate before heaving herself up onto the thatched roof. She crept between peaks, remaining undetected by those patrolling the streets below. The straw of the thatching and the slush kept her footsteps muffled to the citizens within the homes under her feet. The houses in this part of the city were close enough that she could step over the spaces between them. That is, until she reached the Handelmort Mansion.

The mansion and its estate were nestled among the other residences of the city, but a tall fence and hedges separated the cramped households from the well-manicured landscape. While the mansion was home of the Lost Francis Kurt Handelmort, one of the wealthy nobles of Ardougne, his home held nothing of interest for her. Lord Handelmort prided himself with his museum worth collection, but that was no good to someone like Arianna. The problem with museum worthy items to a thief was only a museum would find them valuable.

She smiled to herself, thinking how that conversation would pan out as she sized up the distance between the roof she was on to the one of the mansion.

'_What a fine artifact!'_ some historian would say. _'Where ever did you find something like this?'_

'_Ah, well, family heirloom,'_ she'd say, _'A third cousin on my…uh, great aunt's side left it to me. Thought I'd like it, or something…'_

'_Really? This is very much like the quality of Lord Handelmort's collection.'_

And with no way to explain herself out of that one, the possibility of no pay out wouldn't be worth her time to pursue any of the items within the house hold.

She sighed and turned her attention back to the gap ahead of her. Ten feet, she guessed. She was hesitant about this leap. This time she didn't have someone to catch her if she missed. But she has no more time to waste. She checked for guards on the street below, took a handful of steps back, and got a running start before leaping across the gap. She felt a sudden panic as she began to doubt she'd make it. She started dropping below the roof level of the mansion.

She reached out with her hands, trying to grasp something, anything that would stop her fall.

Her fingers wrapped around something, and her other hand joined the first so she wouldn't lose her grip. She let her feet hit the wall of the mansion with a faint _tap_. She let herself hang there for a moment before pulling herself on to the flat roof.

She was shaking as the adrenaline wore off. She looked back down the almost three story drop she had almost taken. She let out an uneven sigh and continued. She didn't have the time to deal with these near death experiences.

She dashed across the roof and found the lattice work of ivy on the east side of the mansion and climbed down, glad to be back on the ground once more. She headed down another narrow alley that came out into the market place.

The market place was an open square, which usually full of traders and buyers, was devoid of all life. The stalls were bare, missing the character they possessed during the day. The icy wind blew through the colorful banners that hung about the plaza.

She skirted around the empty stalls, keeping an eye out for any patrolling guards. As she stalked around the market, her target came into view. A store room, owned by the city as far as she knew. During the day the guards of the market kept the store room guarded, now it was just a simple locked door. Nothing her lockpicks couldn't handle.

She knelt before the locked door and slid the delicate lockpicks from her pocket. She inserted one into the lock and set to work. In under a minute, she heard the small click of the door unlocking. She smiled, sliding the lockpicks away. She stood and ventured into the room on the other side of the door. She sighed a small thanks for the little bit of warmth the small room had.

The room itself didn't have much to it. Candles flickered in holders on the wall, providing the only light in the room. To her right stood a wall of bookcases that were over flowing with books, stacks of books were piled on top when all the shelf space had been used up. Just beside the bookshelves was a spiral staircase going up a story, where she was ultimately headed. She turned her attention to the rest of the room, and found a few things that alarmed her.

To the left of the door was a cloak rack, and a number of the pegs were taken by burgundy cloaks. Along the same wall sat a crude table and stool, and leaning against the wall was an iron mace, one just like the Ardougne guards carried.

She had scouted the place from the windows on several occasions, and never once had she noticed any of this before. Now she was worried. She quickly weighed her options, but knew she needed this. She spent the last of her gold on her room at the Flying Horse Inn on the promise of a good payout. She would have to press on if she wanted a warm place to sleep and food to eat.

She moved to the bottom of the stairs, and listened carefully for any kind of noise from above. Once she was certain that there was nothing, she crept up to the second story.

She peeked up on to the second story, and as she suspected no one was up there. She stepped off the stairs and took in the room. More shelves with more books, two beds that both looked like they hadn't been used recently. She continued scanning the room and found two ornate chests sitting in the corner of the room.

"Jackpot," she said softly, smiling. She hurried over to one of the chests. She carefully searched the outside of the chest for any kind of traps. She looked for any "sticky-out things" and "doohickeys" to be jiggled. She smiled to herself, thinking fondly of her good friend, Ozan.

She ran her hands gingerly over the trim of the box, searching for any triggers for traps. She pulled her hand away quickly, feeling a prick on her frost-numbed finger. She checked her hand, then the chest, looking for what picked her. She only found a small piece of metal that had seemed to be peeling off of the chest. She shook her head some and picked the lock with a small amount of difficulty with her numb hands. But the lock soon clicked open

She hesitated a moment before pulling open the chest. She looked at the contents and her heart sank. Her sources had led her to believe that there would be hundreds of valuable runes, not just one! She reached in and picked up the pebble sized rune stone. The vibrant green markings on the stone told her it was a nature rune. She hoped the rune would be worth enough to save this trip from being a total flop.

She sighed, pocketing the rune, and stood, heading for the window and the sturdy oak tree on the other side that would serve as her escape.

But as she took a step, she stumbled and her legs gave out beneath her. She knew something was wrong, very wrong. She tried to stand up again, but had since lost all feelings in her legs and hands. She began to panic. She had to get out of there, and quickly. With each passing second crawling toward the window became harder and harder. Her vision blurred and she collapsed, unable to move herself forward any more.

With an ear pressed against the floor, she heard the door below crashing open. Footsteps of a number of people thundered up the stairs. Boots came into her ever decreasing field of vision, and surrounded her.

"And what do we have here?" she heard a gruff voice say before the effects took her mind, turning everything black as she lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

She was first aware of the cold.

It was the cold that brought Arianna back from unconsciousness. She shook her head, and instantly regretted it as her head began to pound.

She groaned in pain, cradling her head in her hands.

_ Clink clink._

She blinked a few times, clearing the blurriness from her vision, and looked to her hands. Strong iron shackles were locked around her wrists. Her eyes followed the large chains to the stone wall. They were attached onto a large iron spike set deep into the stones.

She was caught, locked up and everything.

She reached for her pocket that held her lockpicks.

"They aren't there," came a voice, one she vaguely remembered from before she blacked out.

She looked over and noticed a guard sitting in a chair across from the cell she was being held in.

The man stood and paced before the bars, remaining silent. She watched him carefully.

The man before her was no simple guard, as she had first thought. His armor was fine steel plate, much nicer than the iron chainmail of the other guards. A sword swung at his hip, clanking against the plated armor on his leg as he walked. This weapon was not the standard mace that was issued to all of the guards. The burgundy cloak that was fastened around his shoulders held a golden trim.

She knew who this man was. Captain Johnathan Brocas, a thief's worst nightmare in Ardougne. He was known among her people to not be lenient to those caught.

She glanced up to his face. Had this been any other situation, she would've said the man was handsome. He had close cropped strawberry blonde hair that made him look much younger than she knew he was. The deep lines that etched across his forehead from years of worry were the only betrayal of his age. His eyes were dark against his fair complexion. Years of time with the guards and in battles left him wise, and that wisdom showed in his eyes. But with that wisdom, there was also hatred, hatred that flared up every time he looked at her as though she was everything he hated in the world.

"You thieves," said the captain. "Thinking that anything you can get your hands on is just free for your taking."

"Well, it is if we don't get caught," she added, deciding to be smart.

He glared at her, a look of absolute loathing, as if she was the core of all of his problems. "Ah, but you were caught." He smiled slyly. "That poison is a fine one. Imported from an apothecary from Varrock. You've been out for hours, and I bet you still have no feeling in your fingers."

She pressed her finger tips together and could barely feel the touch through the numbness.

"Such elegant hands," he said, watching her movements. "You could've been a lady of the court with your beauty, working on intricate needlework or other…delicate works with those hands…"

His implications sent shivers down her spine.

"Too bad that you'll be losing them as punishment for your crimes."

"What?!" she said, unable to hold back the outburst.

"Yes, thief. The cost of your crimes against our city is your thieving hands! You'll be brought before King Lathas and your sentence will be passed." His eyes watched her carefully, looking for any kind of reaction from her, but she kept her emotions carefully locked away. "Well, thief, I'll be seeing you in a few days when you go to see the king. I hope you enjoy your cell, since you won't be getting out any time soon. Especially without these."

She looked up and saw her precious lockpicks in the captain's gloved hands.

"Strange how so many of my problems stem from these little tools," he said, looking down at the fragile instruments. He was still for a few moments, then snapped them all. He let the metal pieces fall to the stone floor. He turned and left her alone.

She stared at the small pile of what had previously been her most handy tools. She let out a long sigh of frustration, and of anger. Getting more of those lockpicks was going to be very difficult, especially now that she most definitely wasn't going to be making any profit from this.

Not that they'd be any use to her if she lost her hands.

She shivered at the thought, looking down at her hands which were slowly gaining feeling again. She had to get out of there before that could happen.

She didn't know how long she spent trying to break out, or how many different things she tried. The chains that held here were free of any traces of rust and set with a sturdy base into the stone wall. No amount of tugging would make it budge. The chains also prevented her from reaching any of the broken lockpicks. She scanned the cell for something thin enough to use as a makeshift pick, but the cell was bare of anything.

She sighed and shivered, aware of the cold once more. She looked up and found a barred opening high above her. Small snowflakes fell between the bars into the cell and they melted as they fell upon her cheeks. The snow storm had blown itself out, and through the opening she could hear the city beyond waking up.

She was stuck, at least for the time being. She silently prayed, for the first time in a long while, that some kind of opportunity would arise to get out of this situation. For now, she'd just have to get comfortable here.

And first was to get the cold from her mind.

Naturally, she thought back to her adventures in the desert.

**I know it's short, but here's chapter 2. I promise from here on out, the rest of the chapters end up being pretty long.**

**So, yeah. Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.**

**And until next time, cheers.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, hello again. I had three chapters edited all at once, so I figured, hey, I'll post up two chapters this weekend (the next won't come until I've updated Heart of the Hero, but that might be subject to change). So, this chapter actually begins with Stolen Hearts quest content. While yes, this does rely heavily on dialogue from the quest (though parts have been changed to make things flow better and get rid of some unneeded information), a story is more than just the conversations (and yes, I wrote down all that was said while doing the quests). There are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that we miss out in the game, and I've tried to bring that into this story. I have found that my 'formula' for these is two in game quests, then my own ideas. So, naturally, for Arianna the two quests are Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.**

_Some months earlier…_

Fall had fallen over Misthalin. A crisp chill hung in the air, cool enough for a light cloak to be worn in the early evenings. Leaves had begun to change color and fall, giving the landscape a beautiful array of colors.

But in Draynor, the lack of leaves left the trees looking dead, giving the village an eerie feel, eerier than usual.

Leaves crunched under Arianna's footsteps. She traveled to Draynor with no heist in mind. From what she understood, there wasn't much to be had in the village, and she dared not go to Draynor Manor after hearing the rumors and horror stories about the place.

She figured she'd check the village out for a short while before heading on to Falador. This would be a short trip.

She passed under a sign that spanned across the path. 'Draynor' was painted in a deep red paint across long wooden planks. The painter was less than careful when the sign was created, paint had dripped from the letters, like droplets of blood perpetually stuck sliding down the face of the sign.

She shivered. She heard too many vampire stories about this place.

A rough, wooden fence ran along the left side of the road, separating her and others of the village from a large field of wheat. She watched as farmers set up equipment, readying for an approaching harvest.

The fence also acted as a perch for a countless number of crows. As she came to a small bend in the road, a small murder of crows looked to her, and cawed at her angrily before taking off. They joined the others in the trees and skies around the village.

She took the first path that split off into Draynor. It seemed that this end was mainly residential, with small houses built close together. None of the houses stood out from others as if the owner had any kind of money.

Just as she passed the first house, she heard movement down the alley to her right. Her left hand came to rest on one of the daggers strapped to her belt. With the stories about this village, this place had her on edge.

"Psst," she heard from the alley. "Hey, buddy, over here."

She turned and saw a man standing at the end of the alley. He stood in the shadows, which obscured her view of him. But she could tell this man was fit and if it came down to defending herself it would be a challenge.

And yet, she decided to take her chances and approach him. 'Besides,' she thought to herself. 'He has no idea I'm ready for him if he tries something.'

She strode over to the alleyway. "Me?" she asked, even though the street was sparsely populated.

"Yeah, you. I know you, don't I?" he said, looking her over.

"Um…" she said, certain she had never met this man before. "I don't know…"

"Hm, I'm sure it'll come to me. Never mind for now; my name's Ozan," he said, stepping out from the alleyway some.

Now she knew she had never met him before. She knew who Ozan was, many did. He was a very well-known thief and heartthrob. And now that she had met him, she could understand the latter one.

Ozan was a very handsome man. His skin was sun darkened, much like the others from his home of Al Kharid. His eyes were a deep, rich brown, very warm and welcoming. There seemed to always be a small smile on his face, and she was sure that when he gave a real smile it was gorgeous. And his hair looked- but she suddenly realized her was looking at her, waiting for her to return with her name.

"Uh, I'm Arianna Wylde," she said.

He flashed her a smile, and just as she suspected, gorgeous. "Arianna," he repeated, rolling the r some. "That's got a very nice ring to it."

She couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Well, I'm glad that you stopped by. I've got a bit of a situation here and I could use some help," he said.

"Oh," she said. "Uh, I'm sorry, Ozan, but I don't think I can really help out-"

"Please, listen," he said, cutting her off. "An old friend of mine- Khnum's his name- seems to have fallen in with a new gang setting up shop here in Draynor. When I saw him, he was acting all shifty, wouldn't talk to me about it. I think he's in over his head. So, I need someone on the inside. I'm a bit too well known."

"I'm sorry, Ozan," she said again. "But I'm not really the 'helping' type."

"You're a thief, right?" he said suddenly.

"I…uh," she said, surprised by his sudden question.

He gave her another one of those smiles. "From one thief to another, help me out and I'll owe you. Adventures with me tend to be a bit…unpredictable, but I'm sure we'll have a few laughs along the way. What do you say?"

She thought about it. Having Ozan, what with his reputation, owe her could be huge, and a very valuable tool to have. After a few moments of consideration she nodded. "Alright, I'll help you out, but I'll hold you to owing me."

Ozan smiled widely, hearing her decision. "Great! Right now, Khnum is holed up in a cellar of this house." He nodded to the building to his right. "Knock on the trapdoor, pose as a thug and try to get yourself recruited, then see what you can find out about Khnum."

"Wait just a moment," she said. "If I'm going to do this, tell me more about this 'Khnum'."

He sighed, but said, "I knew him when I was growing up in Al Kharid. He was a palace guard and I was a petty thief, but we were good friends. That is until I had to, er, leave…then we lost touch. I've no idea how he went from being a palace guard to joining such a violent gang…but I'd like to help him out of it, like he used to help me. He's a good man at heart."

She watched him as he spoke. He meant every word. She looked to the house she had promised she'd venture into, where this violent gang was said to be. "Tell me about this gang that I'm going to be infiltrating."

"They call themselves the Skulls- relatively new to the game. From what I've heard, they're making a lot of waves, trying to make a name for themselves. They take jobs other more 'reputable' outfits wouldn't touch with their blackjacks. I mean, I've got a bit of a shady past myself, but some of the things these guys do…it's just not right. This cellar they're in is the gang's secret drinking den."

She nodded, taking in everything he said. "Alright, I'll head in there. You'll stay here so I can find you once I have your information, right?"

He nodded. "Right in this alley," he said. "Thank you, Arianna."

She smiled inwardly and went around the front of the house.

It was a typical house, though on the small side, just like every other on the street. She tried the door and was glad to find the door unlocked. At twenty gold a piece, she did not want to risk breaking any of her lockpicks, even to help Ozan. The house was only a single room, and a bare one at that. The only notable feature, other than the few dusty crates, was a trapdoor in the corner of the room.

She took a dagger from her belt, hoping it would make her look more intimidating. She walked over to the trapdoor and knocked on it.

_Rap, rap, rap._

She waited, and was about to knock again when a small panel of the door slid away. A pair of eyes peered back at her from the opening.

"Wot d'ya want?" came a male voice from below. He paused for half a moment, hardly giving Arianna the time to answer and continued, "Come on, I dun have all day!"

"Uh," she said, put off by this. "Let me in…or I'll…I'll poke out your eyes." She held up her dagger in a mildly threating manner.

The man was quiet for longer than she liked. She desperately hoped that this man didn't want her to carry out on her threat. Moments passed, and just as she began to move, the man nodded. "Yeah, you seem alright. Come on in."

The trap door swung open. The man on the other side sized her up once more. He then stepped aside, seemingly satisfied, and gave her an almost toothless grin. "Welcome to the Skullery."

She sheathed her dagger, and nodded. She stepped onto the stairs, past the man, and descended down into the cellar.

**Well, I hope enjoyed this chapter. 'See' you all soon. Cheers.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello. It seems that I have lied; I'm posting a chapter for this story before posting Heart of the Hero (that story and I are having a rough time right now, so Arianna is getting all of my attention). That and I've been playing around with the shiny new updates on Runescape. **

**Not only that, but I have also started another story, set in a whole other world. But that will take some time because I want to post that one in its entirety (seven pages and 2,845 words and it's still in the introduction -_-)**

**So, this chapter contains Stolen Hearts quest content. While yes, this does rely heavily on dialogue from the quest (though parts have been changed to make things flow better and get rid of some unneeded information), a story is more than just the conversations (and yes, I wrote down all that was said while doing the quests). There are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that we miss out in the game, and I've tried to bring that into this story. I have found that my 'formula' for these is two in game quests, then my own ideas. So, naturally, for Arianna the two quests are Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.**

Before she could see the cellar below, she could smell it. Sweat and blood. The stink of lots of bodies in a closed off space. A stale citrusy smell mixed among the other scents. This was definitely an unsavory drinking establishment.

She descended further down into the cellar, now seeing into it. Half a dozen men sat around tables, drinking. Most were more interested in their conversations, two even in a heated arm wrestling match, and seemed less interesting than the newcomer, but some looked up at her with mild interest. But it wasn't long until their interest returned to their ales once more. She wondered which one of them was this 'Khnum'.

As she stepped off of the stairs, a man standing behind a long bar beckoned her over. She walked over to him.

The man was portly, and she was sure that he gained his portliness from years with a love for food. He was going bald and grey streaks of hair ran through his black beard. A crude, old scar cut down across the right side of his face, through his eyebrow and on to his cheek below. How he didn't lose his eye in the encounter baffled Arianna. This man definitely fit the description of the kind of people this gang would have.

"Hello, stranger," he said. "Welcome to the Skullery. The name's Khnum. I take it you're here to join the Skulls, not for the atmosphere. That is to say, you're surrounded by Skulls; one wrong word and your throat'll be cut before you've finished saying it. That clear?"

She nodded, getting the impression that he meant every word of that threat. And judging by the curved short sword that she noticed hanging on his belt, he had the means to carry out that threat. She'd have to watch herself, so she didn't end up in trouble with those in the drinking den.

Khnum smiled. "Good. In which case, my new friend, you'll be wanting to pass my little initiation." She didn't like the sound of that, but he continued on. "It's just a few...theoretical situations that you might find yourself in, IF you pass. And if you don't pass…well, use your imagination. Now that the formalities are out of the way, first question. You see a wealthy resident leaving Draynor Market, laden with goods. They stop and ask for your help carrying their goods home. Suppositionally, what do you do?"

Her imagination was still running with the possibilities of not passing and she almost missed the question. Her thief instincts came through and answered as such. "Well, I'd help them carry their goods to their home," she said. She saw that the answer wasn't what Khnum expected, but she explained herself. "While there, I'd be casing the house, seeing what would be worth taking, and how to get in and out easily."

Khnum chuckled a deep, hardy laugh. "Clever, very clever. You minimize the risk and maximize the loot- not too shabby. Okay, now for question two. A fellow gang member is wrongfully imprisoned. What method do you theoretically use to liberate them?"

She doubted that 'wrongfully imprisoned' was the correct term. She was quiet for a while, thinking. Khnum watched her closely. The few occupants that sat close to the bar took a slight interest in her 'initiation'. This wasn't what she was used to, but she tried to think of it as stealing a person instead of an item.

"Well," she finally said, "I guess I'd fake their death."

"Ah, the old cadava berry trick. If things went wrong, that gang member could wind up dead. But if it goes right, everyone will just THINK they're dead," he said. She was glad that he was reading much more into the answer she gave him. "Okay," he continued. "Final question. A stranger disrespects you in public. What do you do, hypothetically speaking?"

She hesitated, her mind running through a hundred options, but she didn't know what kind of answer this man would want. "Uh," she said, trying to pick an option. Khnum scratched his beard, waiting for her answer. She felt pressured. "Well, I'd, uh, make nice and walk away. Then I'd go and find out where he lives…" She was careful to keep question from her voice.

"Ah, the old unicorn head in the bed trick. You risk looking weak in the short term, but in the long term, people will grow to fear you."

_'Unicorn head in the bed?'_ almost escaped her mouth, but she quickly stopped it, realizing that Khnum was once again pleased with her vague answer. She just nodded.

"You gave some good answers there," Khnum continued. "You've clearly got potential. You're a thinker and a risk-taker; a swindler. With your ideas and the Skulls' resources, we could be rolling in it. Well done! Welcome to the Skulls, recruit! Do you have any questions?"

She nodded. "Plenty of questions," she said, and Khnum nodded for her to continue. "What's your role in all of this?"

"My role?" he said and laughed. "Don't mistake me as a recruiter! I AM the Skulls. This is my gang. Let's just say I got fed up working for 'the man', so I struck it out on my own. And it turns out I've got a certain 'finesse' when it comes to crime."

She took a mental note, knowing Ozan would fine that bit of information interesting. "So, your Skulls, what kind of reputation do you have here in Draynor?"

"What of it? I've found that taking extreme measures is the only way to make a name for yourself. People around here know to fear us- they aren't going to put up a fight. It's not hard, though- the locals are scared of their own shadows. They're almost happy they're only being attacked by plain old humans. At least we leave them alive…mostly."

"Plain old humans?" she asked, curious by his odd choice of words.

"You're new around here?" he asked back and she nodded. "They say that the manor to the north houses a vampire the name of Count Draynor." He shook his head. "But that's just a load of superstition. Makes the people of this village easy targets."

She nodded, slowly growing curious about something else. "Do you know a man by the name Ozan?"

Khnum's demeanor changed in an instant. "Yeah, I know him…at least I thought I did. But then it seems everyone knows him these days. He might color himself as being on the wrong side of the law, but he's really just some jumped-up do-gooder these days. Why do you ask?" When she didn't answer right away, he shook his head. "Is he still skulking around Draynor? Never mind. Just stay clear of him, right? He'll pretend to be your friend until he gets what he wants, then he'll leave you behind without a second thought. Don't trust him- you're a Skull now."

She nodded. She could see in his eyes that thinking back to whatever happened hurt him. That and she could tell that he was suspicious of her after that question. "Well, what jobs are in the works here?" she asked, hoping to take his mind off Ozan.

"As a matter of fact, three of my best are out on a job right now- a kidnapping. It's our biggest job so far, plus I get the bonus of sticking it to my old employer," he said. There was an unpleasant glint in Khnum's eyes that she didn't like. He was enjoying this too much. "It's relatively risk-free; we're got some lady backer doing all the heavy lifting. Don't worry, I'm not gonna get you to kill anyone…yet. Just run some supplies to my guys. I'll fill you in when we're at our HQ- this place is just where we unwind from a long day's work. Thing is, I'm not gonna tell you WHERE our HQ is. Consider this one final test- a practical to follow the theory. But if you can't find it, well, I guess you aren't Skulls material after all."

"Any hints about this location?" she asked.

He smiled. "I'm sure you're crafty enough to figure it out on your own. Good luck."

And with that she was dismissed. He turned his back to her, attending to the kegs behind him. She decided to go back and talk to Ozan about what she had found out.

She ascended the stairs, and the bouncer at the trapdoor watched her as she left. Stepping out of the house and into the crisp, fresh air was very refreshing. She took a couple deep lung fulls before turning for the alley and Ozan.

He was sitting at the end of the alley on an old crate, mindlessly strumming the string of his bow. He looked up when she stepped into view and smiled. "Hey, so you made it back out alive. Are you in? What did you find out? Did you talk to Khnum?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm in," she said. "I was put through what was called their 'theory' test. Though I very much doubt these situations were simply theoretical."

"What were you asked?" Ozan asked, curious.

She recounted the theory test for him, going through each question that was asked of her, and the answers she had given.

"Haha! You gave them some good answers there. I'd hire you. Though we were just pretending, right?"

"Of course," she said. "Well, pretending with everything except with the first question."

He nodded. "That would be a clever way to get into someone's house, invited," he said, letting himself get distracted. He soon shook his head, refocusing on what was important. "Anyways, what about Khnum? Did you talk to him?"

"He was the one who gave me the initiation," she said. "But he hasn't just 'fallen in' with this new gang, he's the one heading this whole thing up. After being a guard for so many years, he seems to be using that knowledge to get ahead with his gang." She sighed. "I also brought your name up into the conversation and he was none too pleased to hear it. He made it seem as though you used him and left him in Al Kharid without a second thought."

Ozan leaned against one of the walls of the alley. He shook his head, absorbing the information she relayed to him. "I can't believe he's the gang leader," he finally said. "And none too fond of me anymore. No wonder he wouldn't talk to me about this. I mean, I may be more than just the world's greatest thief these days-" At this she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "-but he is still an old friend. I'd help him if I could. I wonder what happened to lead him to this. Did he say anything?"

She shook her head, thinking back. "No, but he did bring up a job that he had his Skulls doing."

He turned his brown eyes on her. "And what's that?"

"A kidnapping. He said it's been their biggest job yet. I guess some woman is backing it. He was particularly interested in it because it allowed him to…what was it? 'Stick it to his old employer' I believe his exact words were."

"Wait, what? He said that? Surely he can't mean from back when he was a palace guard in Al Kharid. I just can't see him doing something that serious," Ozan said, shaking his head. He looked at the house that contained the Skullery, as if he could see into it, and see Khnum below. "What are you up to, Khnum?" He was quiet for a while, processing all of her information. Finally, he looked back to her and said, "Anything else?"

"Well, right now I'm supposed to be doing the 'practical' portion of his test, finding out where their HQ is since the Skullery is just their drinking den. I'm to meet him at HQ once I've found it, but he gave me no clues about where I need to go."

Ozan just nodded, preoccupied by his thoughts. "Listen," he said. "This kidnapping he mentioned worries me- I want to ask him about it. He said he wants you to meet him at his gang's HQ? So, it sounds like he'll be making his own way there soon. We'll just wait for him to surface, then follow him- that's how we'll find the HQ. Once we're sure he's alone, I'll step in and we can find out more about what he's mixed up in here. There must be more going on- the Khnum I knew wouldn't do something like this. Think you can trail Khnum back to HQ?"

She nodded. "Of course, I've done it before in Varrock," she said. "Though, the city had many more people than here."

Ozan nodded. "True, but you'll do just fine. When Khnum comes out we'll just have to keep him in our sights, but not too close. I'll hang back behind you, we don't need him seeing me with you just yet."

Arianna nodded. "Now we just need to wait for Khnum to make his appearance."

"Yeah, and we might as well get comfortable," he said, sitting back down. "I've been watching him for a while now, I know he'll be down there for a few more hours."

She sighed and sat as well, and they began waiting.


	5. Chapter 5

**Got a favorite and follower the other day, and I suddenly remembered 'Oh, yeah, that's right, I'm writing a story'. Sorry for the delay, just have had such a hectic past few weeks (an end of a very long term relationship, but the start of another wonderful one). I promise that I will be working on this more just for you guys.**

**So, this chapter contains Stolen Hearts quest content. While yes, this does rely heavily on dialogue from the quest (though parts have been changed to make things flow better and get rid of some unneeded information), a story is more than just the conversations (and yes, I wrote down all that was said while doing the quests). There are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that we miss out in the game, and I've tried to bring that into this story. I have found that my 'formula' for these is two in game quests, then my own ideas. So, naturally, for Arianna the two quests are Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.**

A few hours had passed and it was now late in the afternoon. The alleyway the two thieves was cast into shadow. The seasonally chilly wind blew through the small space, and Arianna pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders.

As they waited and time passed, Ozan had begun telling her a number of different stories of the adventures he had gone on. Each one, thought, sounded all too outlandish to be true.

"So, there we were, trapped in the underground tunnels by the cave in at the entrance," said Ozan. "It was just the two of us, Xandria with her broken sword and me with my bow and only four arrows. We had our backs against the rough stone wall as twenty trolls advanced on us…" He spoke with great enthusiasm; he was clearly very into his story.

So into his story, in fact, that Arianna almost missed the noises coming from the house she leaned back against.

"Shh, do you hear that?" she said, cutting right across Ozan's story.

The two of them fell silent, remaining absolutely still as they strained to hear any other sign of life on the other side of the wall.

_Creak._

"That's the trapdoor," said Ozan quietly.

"See you tomorrow, Barty," came the muffled voice of Khnum. "Off to HQ to see if that new recruit is really Skull material."

"And that's Khnum," said Ozan, getting even quieter. "Are you ready for this?" Arianna nodded, and he smiled. "Well, then let's go."

She crept down the alley was they heard the front door of the Skullery open. She carefully peered around the corner of the building and watched as Khnum shut the door behind him.

Khnum turned his back towards her and headed down the street in the opposite direction. She waited until he joined the others on the street before stepping from the safety of the alleyway. She kept her pace casual and held back from Khnum, but had her eyes carefully trained Khnum's back.

Khnum came to the end of the street and turned left. She quickened her pace, not wanting Khnum out of her sight for too long. She got to the last building and peered around. He was ahead of her, gazing into a pen of pigs. She could tell he was talking, but they were too close to the market, and the sounds drowned out his voice.

She glanced back to Ozan, who, as he said he would, hung back and was just now catching up to her.

"What's he doing?" he asked.

"Well, it would seem as though he is talking to some pigs," she said, and looked back to Khnum. She was alarmed when she found he wasn't by the pen anymore, but moving into the market. She left her cover just as Ozan began to speak. She was sure that she heard him mumble 'and there she goes' before he was out of ear shot.

She stepped into the market and scanned the busy square. She started to panic as she couldn't find Khnum amongst them. Her eyes darted over the toy vender and the seed vendor, and finally came to rest on a wind vendor, who looked as though he was on the receiving end of less than kind words from Khnum.

Arianna began to weave her way through the crowd as Khnum headed off again. She kept her distance once more as he headed through the center of the village and past the short boundary fences. While it was only the three of them in the forest, there were many places to hide among the plethora of trees. A dilapidated building came into view and Khnum stepped up to the door, pulling a key from his pocket.

"That's the old Draynor Prison," said Ozan, stepping up behind her. They watched as Khnum entered the building from amongst the trees. "That must be their HQ, You ready for a confrontation?"

She nodded. "Let's go have a little chat with him, shall we?"

Ozan smile and together they broke from the trees and

The interior of the prison was very run down. Only two cells existed. The one across from her had definitely seen much better days. Each of the bars were caked with rust. The door itself was ajar, the lock was bashed and broken from a long ago prisoner turned escapee. The other cell fared much better, it could probably still be used to hold someone.

And there was Khnum, shuffling through papers on a desk before him. She took a step forward and loose rocks underfoot rattled across the floor.

Khnum heard the noise and turned around, smiling seeing it was her. "Ah, well done, recruit. You found the HQ! Welcome to the Skulls."

"Is there anyone else here?" she asked, her voice echoing around the prison.

"No, the Skulls only come here when I ask them to come," he said. Something caught his eyes and he looked over her should. His eyes widened. "Ozan!"

She turned and saw that Ozan had stepped into the prison, an arrow notched and ready in his bow.

"Recruit!" Khnum shouted, calling her attention back to him. "NOW it's time for you to kill someone."

She looked from Khnum to Ozan, her hands coming to a rest on hilts of her daggers, but she made no move towards an attack on Ozan.

Khnum looked at her expectantly. "Well? What are you waiting for, recruit?" said Khnum. His mind was churning. "Unless…you're working together? No wonder you asked about him. Damn you! I'll just have to kill you both myself!"

But before Khnum could even reach for his curved blade, Ozan drew back his bow and fired at Khnum. The arrow narrowly missed Khnum and embedded itself into the mortar between the brick in the wall behind him. The power behind the shot was incredible, and Arianna couldn't help but stare in awe.

"No, you're good just there," Ozan said, lowering his bow. "What are you up to, Khnum?"

"Bah! Nothing you've never done, you hypocrite. When we first met, you were nothing but a thief!" said Khnum, getting angry.

"But at least I have a code," Ozan retorted. "There are some things you just don't do! You were a palace guard, for Het's sake! What happened?"

"YOU happened! That night you snuck into the palace…they blamed ME for letting you in! I was disgraced, tossed out after twenty years of loyal service, all thanks to an impetuous boy's curiosity. And they you just left Al Kharid, not a word to me."

"I had no choice, Khnum!" Ozan exclaimed. "They banished me! I'm sorry we lost touch…but that's no excuse for what you're doing now. Let me help you."

"Help me how? To become a 'good' thief?" Khnum scoffed. "Me and my gang are doing just fine!"

"You call being involved in a kidnapping fine? What's that about, Khnum?" Ozan said, his voice echoing loudly throughout the empty prison.

Suddenly the door of the prison was flung open, causing the three occupants to just and looked to the source. There stood a woman wielding a crossbow that was pointed straight at them. Fierce green eyes glared at them from a cloth that hid her face. Her attire and dark skin tone suggested to Arianna that she was from the desert region, much like Ozan and Khnum.

"Yes, speak up," she said, her tone matching the viciousness of her eyes, "If you have something to say, you can share it with the whole class."

"Who is this?" Ozan said, looking over the newcomer. "Another one of your lackeys, Khnum? I have to say, she's prettier than the others I have seen." He drew his bow, an arrow already notched, and aimed it at the woman. "But you're not getting the old man, sweetheart. He's helping us out."

"Oh, you're fast," she said, redirecting her crossbow to him. "But you will not stop me taking him, 'hero'." The last word was said with such spite, Arianna was sure there was more meaning behind it.

Ozan relaxed his bow slightly. "Hero?" he said, smiling very slightly. "So you've heard of me? What am I saying? Of course you've heard of me, I'm Ozan-"

"Ozan the blood marvelous," she said, her voice dripping with disgust. Now Arianna was certain there was more to this. "I know who you are. You are still a smarmy git, and now you have fallen in with this traitorous scum and his gang."

"Whoa, hold on there. We're not part of his gang. Well, not technically…" he said with a sideways glance to Arianna. "But If you're not either then who are you? No, wait, don't tell me." He paused, studying her carefully for a handful of moments. "I know this. Those piercing jade eyes…the full, soft lips…that dulcet voice…the scary looking crossbow aimed at my heart- is that you, princess?"

"Princess?" Arianna piped up, but neither Ozan or this 'princess' responded to her.

"Urgh! Do not call me that! I am NOT a princess!" the woman said, severely annoyed.

"Of course, I'm sorry- it's Leela, right? Look, I may be many things, but we aren't Khnum's Skulls," said Ozan.

"Ha! You could have fooled me," said Leela.

"Look, Khnum's men are kidnapping someone tied to Al Kharid- we're trying to stop it. We can work together. You have to trust us. I'm lowering my bow; don't shoot," he said. He hesitated a moment before lowering his bow as he said he would.

But Leela made no move to lower her crossbow. The tension in the room was penetrating. Moments ticked away and Leela held her position like a statue.

"Or," Ozan said, breaking the tense silence, "you could shoot me, but that'd ruin my favorite shirt."

Arianna looked at Ozan astonished that he could make jokes when a bolt could be embedded in his heart within a fraction of a second.

But this joke seemed to have gotten through to Leela. After a moment, she hesitantly lowered her crossbow. "Fine," she said. "I will trust you…for now. But only because I need information too. Do not think this makes us friends. You are too late, though- the prince went missing while he was touring Lumbridge. I have followed the trail here to Draynor."

"Wait, what?" Ozan said, shocked. He looked back to Khnum. "You've kidnapped Prince Ali? I know you'd got into some serious stuff, but this?!"

"Finished your little lovers' tiff, have you?" Khnum said gruffly. "Well, I'm not telling you a thing. Neither of you have the guts to cause me harm. You still see me as a friend, and little Leela wouldn't hurt a fly with that crossbow of hers."

"Yeah, that may be so, but you don't know my friend here," Ozan said with a small nod to Arianna. "If you won't talk to me or Leela, you can talk to her."

"Me?" Arianna said, surprised she was being brought back up into the conversation like this.

Ozan nodded, encouraging her to step forward.

She did and Khnum looked at her, less than threatened by her. He looked more amused than anything else. "You're going to make me talk?" He laughed. "And how are YOU going to do that?"

She could tell he was in no way afraid of her. She was ready to change that. "Well, they might not be willing to hurt you, but I have no problem with beating the information we need out of you."

He laughed again. "Torture me all you want, little thief! I'm trained to withstand it. Besides, by the time you got anything out of me- if you did manage to- the prince would be long gone."

"Well, we'll see about that…" she said, reaching for one of her daggers.

She felt a hand close around her wrist, and she looked over to Ozan, who had stopped her.

"I'm not comfortable with that," he said, shaking his head. "Whatever Khnum might think of me, I'm still his friend." He held her arm still, until he was sure she wasn't going to try anything before letting go.

"Then what do we do?" Leela said. "We need to find the prince now! Before anything happens to him."

"Well, do you have any suggestions?" Arianna said, snapping slightly at her. "Got some kind of truth potion with you? No? Then how about contributing something useful to this conversation?"

A silence fell among them after her outburst. She took those moments of silence to calm herself down.

"Well," Leela said, tentative, "What if we infiltrate the gang? Maybe someone else in there knows something about the kidnapping."

Ozan nodded. "As far as the gang knows, Arianna is one of them," he said and turned to her. "Want to venture back into the Skullery to see what you can find out? Maybe just fill a few of their glasses with ale and they might just spill the information we need."

"So, then we can find this out easily enough ourselves," Arianna said. "We don't know need him." She nodded towards Khnum.

"Trying to attack my pride, eh?" said Khnum. "Think I might let something slip? That might work if I didn't have complete faith in my men. Even if you did manage to find something out, the three mercs I sent on this job are my best."

"Ah, so there are only three of them?" Leela said, smiling.

Khnum looked furious with himself that he let something slip. "They won't be along, they'll be with…" He caught himself. "Gah! You're not getting any more out of me!"

"Then we'll just lock you up in this cell here and throw away the key," said Arianna. "Like I said before, we don't need you…unless you'd like to make it easier for us and just tell us what we need to know."

Khnum just shrugged. "Sure, that won't be fun, but I was a palace guard for a long time. My imagination will keep my mind occupied while I'm locked up until my men break me out. And by then the prince will be long gone."

"And what if they don't come?" she egged on. "What if they just replace you?"

"Bah! I'll…I'll find a way out!" Arianna could tell that Khnum was not only getting agitated, but also somewhat panicked.

"What will you take pride in while locked up, Khnum?" she said, "Sure, you have total faith in your men, but what about your personal pride?"

"Right," said Ozan, and just as Arianna glanced at him, she could the spark of an idea forming in his head. "What about your love of food, Khnum? How much is that imagination of yours going to feed you when all you get is bread and water?"

This seemed to be the final straw for Khnum. He frowned, certainly not liking the sound of what Ozan had said. "Now, hang on, let's not do anything rash here," he said, beginning to sweat at the thought. "A man cannot live off bread alone. I need meat, and…and cheese. Ale, fruit, wine. Coffee! Oh, gods, no, don't take away my coffee!"

Arianna smiled. "Well, if you tell us what we need to know, I'm sure we can figure out a way to make your jail time much more…palatable."

Khnum debated internally for a moment before finally caving in. "Okay, I'll talk! Just don't deprive a man of food, alright?" He seemed to relax, now that the threat of no food was no longer eminent. "Besides, the Skulls- we're only hired help. Our benefactor, Lady Keli- this whole kidnapping is her camel show!"

"Lady Keli?" Ozan asked. "So you're just a pawn in all of this. Who is this Keli woman?"

"I don't know who she is," said Khnum. "I've never actually met her, only dealt with her two cronies- some tall guy with an eye patch and his half-wit friend. My guys were just providing some support- acting as guides through Asgarnia, and as muscle if it came to that."

"So, where in Asgarnia was your crew supposed to be leading Lady Keli's men?" asked Arianna.

Khnum hesitated, unwilling to divulge any more information to the three of them.

"It's too late to clam up on us now, Khnum. Where are they?" asked Ozan with a strong sense of authority in his voice.

"Fine, fine," said Khnum. "There's a staging area directly south of here on the coast, right by the causeway to the Wizard's Tower. My men were to lead them there. There's a boat docked there, waiting for them. Once this Lady Keli had the prince safely aboard, we were getting paid and cutting all ties."

"You two get to the shore, quick," said Leela suddenly, looking at Ozan and Arianna. "There might still be time to save the prince."

"And what about you, princess?" asked Ozan.

Leela glared at him, but quickly let it drop. "I will join you once I have dealt with this fool."

Ozan nodded. "Catch up as soon as you can," he said, then turned to Arianna. "Let's go, there is no time to waste." He dashed out of the dilapidated prison with Arianna following right on his heels.

**So, sorry it took so long to update, but here it is. A 7 page update to make up for the long time I've gone between chapters. And this is also part 3 of tonight's three part update.**

**While I'm at it, there is someone that I would really like to give a shout out to: skyflower51. Thank you so very much for that review the other day. I was beginning to forget my writing, losing some faith in it. But that review you gave me reminded me that my writing has become more than just for me, but obviously for others as well. This update is thanks to you and I hope you enjoy it as much as you have the others. Thank you :)**

**Cheers and until next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Didn't mean to take so long to update this (the new bf has been taking up a lot of time as of late [not to mention last week every other day seemed to be a holiday of some sort]), but I managed to get a good night of writing in so I could work on my lovely Arianna. **

**So, this chapter contains Stolen Hearts quest content. While yes, this does rely heavily on dialogue from the quest (though parts have been changed to make things flow better and get rid of some unneeded information), a story is more than just the conversations (and yes, I wrote down all that was said while doing the quests). There are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that we miss out in the game, and I've tried to bring that into this story. I have found that my 'formula' for these is two in game quests, then my own ideas. So, naturally, for Arianna the two quests are Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.**

By now the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky. A chilly wind nipped at them as they ran through the woods. Neither of them made any noise as they through fallen leaves and twigs.

Within a half hour of running through the forest silently, the tree line came into view. They slowed down, and carefully crept through the brush to get a better look at the coast.

Barely a hundred yards head of them and to the left was the boat Khnum had said would be there. By the boat was a small group of people, and after a quick count, Arianna found seven people made up the group. She spotted the tall man that Khnum must've have had contact with. He and another man- a short and rather fat man- were holding a third man between them, an ornate halberd held at the third man's neck.

"That's the prince," Ozan said quietly, pulling an arrow from the quiver on his back and notching in on his bow's string.

Arianna nodded and carefully crept down the tree line to get a better look, never taking her eyes off the group. From the new vantage point she noticed there was a woman among the group, dressed in deep purple and black. "That must be Lady Keli," she said.

Ozan crept up behind her and nodded, watching as the men tried to get the struggling prince onto the boat. "Looks like it's out time to act," he said. "You ready?"

She nodded, pulling her daggers from her belt. "Always."

He stood and stepped clear of the brush, drawing the string of his bow back fully and effortlessly. "Everyone stop! Hand over the prince and I might only kill you a little bit."

Arianna stepped out with Ozan and gave him a sidelong look. _'Does he even think about what he says before saying it?'_ she thought to herself. Ozan, as if reading her thoughts, simply shrugged.

The woman, Lady Keli, sneered at them. "Not the money convincing demand, little man," she said. "Make one wrong move and I'll kill the prince now; save us all some trouble."

The tall man holding the prince pressed the deadly weapon against the royal's neck.

Prince Ali struggled against the man. "Don't give them what they want!" he blurted out.

After the outburst, the tall man slapped the prince. "Hold your tongue, boy. The lady is talking," the man hissed harshly.

Lady Keli smiled, pleased with her man's response. "Besides, what are you two going to do? You're outnumbered and outmatched. You two don't stand a chance."

"We're willing to try anyways," said Ozan, his bow still drawn back. The arrow didn't waver what so ever, despite how long he held it there.

"Like it makes a difference. The prince is coming with me; try to stop us and the prince dies," Lady Keli said before addressing her men. "Apep, Heru; to the boat."

The men who held the prince nodded. "Yes, Lady Keli," said the tall one.

"Yer, lady," said the short one, clearly not as articulate as his counterpart.

The two of them pulled the prince into the boat.

Lady Keli stepped up into the boat after them then turned to the three remaining them standing on the shore. "Skulls, kill these fools and deliver that ransom note to the Emir in Al Kharid."

But the men looked uncertain. One spoke up, the one Arianna assumed was their leader. "That's not in our contract, love. See, we ain't doin' nuthin' without our money!"

Lady Keli looked furious about being defied. "You will do as I command!" She raised her hand at the men and an eerie light blue mist rose from the ground and wrapped itself around them. They all began to scream in panic.

Ozan and Arianna glanced at each other, uncertain as to what was happening, but neither of them lowered their weapons.

Suddenly the screaming stopped, and the mercenaries turned to face them. Their eyes glowed with the same blue light as the mist that Lady Keli had summoned. The lead mercenary drew his sword from its sheath and led the advance on them.

"That is some serious magic," said Ozan before beginning to release arrows on them.

The three mercenaries were on them quickly, moving fast for being under the influence of Lady Keli's apparent mind control. Ozan managed to get off only a few shots before the men were too close for his ranged attacks, making him draw out a short sword.

One of the mercenaries was on Arianna, swinging a hefty axe at her. She carefully sidestepped the axe as it was brought down on where she had just been standing. She lashed out with her dagger, cutting into his forearm. He shouted in pain and anger, then hit her, knocking her back a few steps. He pulled his axe back up and, with a shout, swung it down at her again. She recovered quickly and side stepped his attack again. She held her dagger firmly and plunged the blade into his side. He gasped and coughed, blood splattering across his lips. She knew she had hit his lung and she pulled her dagger from the man, allowing him to collapse.

She quickly glanced over to Ozan, who was still engaged with the first mercenary. That meant the leader was still ready and able to fight.

_WHOOSH._

She jumped as a warhammer came down just inches away from her face. She scurried back, tripping back over the now dead mercenary. The mercenary leader kept his glowing blue eyes carefully trained on her. She scrambled back to her feet just as the mercenary pulled his hammer back up and going after her. His attacks were much swifter than that of his battle axe counterpart, able to quickly change the direction of his attacks, keeping Arianna constantly moving and at a distance at which she couldn't use her daggers.

One of his sudden changes in direction caught her off guard and slammed into her side. The force behind the low knocked her back to the ground. She gasped in pain as she hit the ground hard, certain that ribs were broken upon impact. The mercenary smiled wickedly above her, raising his warhammer to deliver one final deadly blow.

But with a sickening crack, a crossbow bolt was embedded into the man's chest, followed half a heartbeat later by an arrow. He stumbled back a step before collapsing to the ground, dead. Arianna looked back to find both Ozan and Leela lowering their weapons and running over to her.

"Are you okay?" Leela asking, kneeling beside her.

Arianna shook her head. "Broken…ribs," she said, gasping to catch her breath through the pain in her chest and side.

Leela gingerly touched her side, applying pressure here and there despite Arianna's painful protests. "Nothing feels broken. You may just have bruised your ribs or the area around where you were hit. Can you sit up?"

When Arianna shook her head, Ozan offered his hand to her. He heaved her up to her. She leaned against Ozan as spots clouded her vision.

Leela moved on, searching the bodies of the dead mercenaries. She pulled a slightly bloodied sheet of paper from the leader mercenary. She unfolded it and quickly scanned what was written.

"What is that?" asked Ozan.

"It must be the ransom note that Lady Keli wanted delivered," she said. "'Follow the path of the sun into the lion's mouth. The emir's heart for the prince's life. You have until the sun sets on the desert in ten days.'" She shook her head in frustration. "Lady Keli got away with the prince! On my watch too!"

"It's not over yet, Leela. We'll get him back, I promise you that," said Ozan, still carefully keeping Arianna standing.

"That's not enough; I should have stopped them here! I failed. I have to follow after them. Father will never…" She let her sentence drift off, clearly not wanting to voice the disappointment her father would have over finding this out.

"Leela," Arianna finally said, wincing through her words, "don't be so hard on yourself. We did all that we could- Keli was just too strong. Besides, you saved my life. I am very grateful for that."

Leela simply nodded, clearly still not convinced she hadn't failed. Suddenly a though seemed to occur to her. "I know! You must deliver the ransom note to my father! His name is Osman; he is Al Kharid's spymaster."

Ozan shook his head. "Whoa there, princess. I've met your old man, remember? And he's none too fond of me. I'm not exactly welcome in Al Kharid these days either. Osman would clap me in irons as soon as he caught sight of me."

"Not if I were to tell you my passphrase. If you gave him that he will know the message comes from me. He will have to listen; the kidnapping of Prince Ali is far too important."

"Why don't you take him the ransom note, and we'll try to track down the kidnappers? Or we could all just go together." Arianna got the feeling Ozan did not want to face Osman without Leela.

"No!" she said, seemingly horrified by that idea. "No, someone had to take the message to him and I…I cannot face him, not after I have failed here. Please."

Ozan was quiet, debating it in his head. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "As you wish, princess."

She smiled in relief. "Thank you. I am sorry I didn't trust you before, but I am trusting you now. My passphrase is 'kakolookiyam'-"

"What?" Arianna said, cutting her off.

Leela looked a touched annoyed at the interruption. "Kakolookiyam," she repeated slower. "Do not forget it!" She looked to Ozan. "And stop calling me princess!"

He smiled. "Well, I guess I've got my, er, orders," he said, then looked over to Arianna, whose had taken a few steps back to lean again a tree. "Look, I know you've been dragged into this so far, but I could really do with your help. Would you come with me to Al Kharid?"

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "You want me to travel to Al Kharid with bruised ribs?"

"We'll travel light, and there are places along the way we can stay where you will be comfortable, I promise."

She sighed. "Alright, I'll come with you Al Kharid," she said, even though she wanted nothing more than to rest and recuperate from the warhammer blow.

"Good for you," he said jovially, reaching to clap her on the shoulder, but stopped, thinking better of it. "Just think: it'll be something to tell your grandkids one day- the time you traveled with the amazing Ozan!"

"Grandkids?" she said, "it's a little early to think of grandkids. I still have to _survive_ this adventure with you."

Ozan laughed, and she smiled only slightly. After the encounter with the mercenaries, he had no idea just how serious she was about that.

**Until next time. Cheers.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey you! Before you get reading into this next chapter of Wylde at Heart, you should go check out the poll on my profile. You'll help decide the future of future stories that have been mulling around in my head. So, please head over to that and vote, your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!**

**Also, if you haven't already, go check out Ozan's Tale- The Rising Sun. Just head over to Runescape and type it into the search bar, it should come up. Not only do I cover some of the story in here, but it is also just a fabulous backstory told in true Ozan fashion. I didn't feel as though I could summarize it and do it any justice.**

After a quick goodbye to Leela, Ozan and Arianna departed, heading east towards Al Kharid. With her injury, the journey was slow going though. She frequently needed to stop and rest, her side quickly developed into a large, nasty looking bruise.

"All you need is a good, hot meal, then you'll be feeling as good as new," said Ozan.

But with no major settlements until they reached the swamp village of Lumbridge, they had no way of getting any such meal. They didn't have much in the way of supplies, but Ozan managed to 'acquire' some simple rations from some of the farm houses that they passed along the way. This kept them mostly on bread and smoked fish, a less than savory diet.

The ground was also very unforgiving to her injury. It was beyond her how she managed to get sleep on those nights. She had never been so thankful when they saw the small, swamp village a few days later.

Lumbridge wasn't much to see, it was a handful of buildings and a small reinforced castle on the edge of a ghastly swamp. It was a peaceful place, though, as the inhabitants wondered about the few shops within the village. They passed a small blacksmith's forge with a single blacksmith hammering away at his work. A small river ran along the eastern edge of the settlement. Fishermen sat long the water's edge, casting out nets and lures into the depths.

As they headed south, looking for an inn to rest in, they passed a bridge that extended over the river.

"That's the way to Al Kharid," said Ozan. "Just over the river then through the sandstone gates towards home."

They soon found a place within Lumbridge that had enough rooms for the two of them, The Fine Flagon. It wasn't anything as big as some of the inns in the big cities, but it was a place they could get some well needed rest in some beds, and a decent meal. After settling into their rooms, they went back into the main room to eat.

Arianna watched as Ozan mindlessly played with the hot bowl of stew that was set before him. She had noticed that as they drew closer to Al Kharid, Ozan had become withdrawn. "Something wrong, Ozan?"

He looked up from the bowl. "No, nothing's wrong, Ari," he said, using the nickname he had 'created' for her at the beginning of their trip.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Ozan. In the past few days you haven't told a single one of your completely ridiculous stories."

"Hey! Those are all true," he said. But upon receiving a stern look from Arianna, he sighed. "You have known me for barely a week and you don't miss a thing, Ari."

She smiled a bit. "So, tell me what's wrong with the great thief Ozan."

He managed a brief smile, but didn't reply.

"Is this about going back to Al Kharid?"

He shrugged a bit. "Al Kharid is where I was born and grew up. I'd say raised, but it really isn't raising if I never knew my father and my mother passed when I was very young. I think my mother worked in the palace, but I can't remember that far back…" He paused, thinking for a moment. "So, I raised myself the only way I could- stealing to survive. But I had to leave not long into my teens, you know, banished and all, and I haven't been allowed back since. So, I'm not exactly welcomed in Al Kharid. That's why I wanted you to come with me if Leela wouldn't, I could do with a friend to vouch for me."

She nodded, understanding. "But let's just make sure that they don't find out I'm a thief as well. Somehow I get the feeling they won't go along with a thief vouching for another thief." She smiled and was glad to see him smile back. "So, what about Khnum? How did he play into all of this?"

"He is…or was a good friend. I meet him when he was a palace guard, and I was a thieving street urchin; he was the only guard who ever caught me. Didn't turn me in, though, and never did tell me why not either. But he looked out for me, you know? Maybe after this is all done, I'll pay him a visit in his new home. There may still be hope for him yet."

"So, what about Leela? How did you come to meet her?"

"Ah, Leela, Leela, Leela," Ozan said, smiling a bit more. "I only met her once before, back when we were both kids. She's just as headstrong now as she was then. There would have been no way to persuade her not to go after Lady Keli. I don't even know why I tried. She's a tough kid, though; she'll be fine…at least until we can get some help out to her."

"And you calling her princess…?"

Ozan laughed. "The first time we met I mistook her as a princess. She's not really a princess, but I've kept calling her it to wind her up."

She nodded thoughtfully, and turned back to her stew and ate in silence for a handful of moments. Ozan followed suit. "Tell me about Osman."

"Ah, yes, Osman," he said, returning to his less cheerful demeanor. "He's the one I'm gonna need your help with the most. He's Leela's father, as you've heard, and which I found out all too painfully. He's the reason I got booted out of Al Kharid. Well, okay, I'm the reason; he was just the boot." This sparked a question in Arianna's mind, but she let him continued before she asked. "he was head of the palace guard back then, but Leela said he's the spymaster now. If anyone can help rescue Prince Ali, it's him. From what I remember, he's harsh, but fair. I don't think he'll hold my past against me…but it doesn't hurt to have an honest-looking friend to vouch for me, and Leela's passphrase."

Arianna laughed. "'Honest-looking', really?"

"He doesn't have to know that you're a fellow thief," he said, laughing with her. Talking seemed to have lightened his mood greatly.

"What exactly was the reason for you being 'booted' out of Al Kharid? I know bit and pieces of the story, but not the whole thing. Obviously it affects you," she said.

Ozan sighed and began to tell her a story from his childhood. She was quiet as he spoke, telling his story of managing to get into the palace, and of stumbling upon the room where some 'Kharid-ib' was being kept, then being charged with attempting to steal this…whatever it was.

"So, this 'Kharid-ib', what is it exactly?" she asked.

"Well, it's a diamond, but it has been a symbol of power of the Emir and the pride of Al Kharid for a long time. It's not like any other diamond I've even seen, though, and I've certainly seen my fair share. It is flawless and absolutely brilliant in the sun." He sighed. "I was crazy to think that I could've taken it as a kid, but I was always ambitious. And well, that's how I came to be tossed out of Al Kharid."

Arianna shook her head. "I couldn't even imagine being unable to return home, especially to a place like Al Kharid, it sounds amazing."

Ozan nodded. "That it is," he said. "So, Ari, what about you? What's your story?"

"Oh, it's nowhere near as exciting as your story," she said with a shrug. "I'm from over in Kanarin, Yanille to be exact."

"And why aren't you still in Yanille?" Ozan asked. "From what I've heard it's not that bad of a place to live."

She shrugged again. "I decided that live there wasn't for me, and I just left," she said simply.

Ozan looked at her, curious for more of the story, but she would have none of it.

She pushed back her now empty bowl with a satisfied sigh. "You're right, Ozan, after a good, hot meal I do feel better," she said, changing the subject entirely.

He nodded. "And after a good night's sleep, you'll be feeling great."

She yawned and nodded as well. "I think I may go take advantage of a long night's sleep in a comfortable bed."

"Get some good sleep," said Ozan. "We should be able to reach Al Kharid by tomorrow."

She stood and bid him good night. She headed up to one of the two rooms they had taken and fell asleep as soon as she laid down.

**So, next week is spring break for me, and while I would love to just spend that week updating non-stop, I'm having surgery this Friday (damn you wisdom teeth!) and likely be out of commission for a little while. I promise that once I'm off the pain meds and my writing is coherent, I will go straight back to writing for you guys. Cheers!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello there! Turns out my post surgery really kicked my butt. Still kind of recovering somewhat, my jaw is bothering me still. But, oh, well. Life goes on, I suppose. **

**Also, if you haven't already, I have another story up, The Grey Mage, which is a wizard story that has elements of the Ariane double billing. So, head over and check that one out. Thanks.**

**And now, on to this chapter!**

**Read. Review. Enjoy!**

They were up early, and on their way to Al Kharid. A heavy mist settling on the village at the early hours, creeping up from the marsh to the south.

Here they were already feeling the warmth of the desert, the seasonal chill of autumn was gone from the air. Arianna had taken off her cloak and tucked it away into her pack.

They stepped through a tall, natural sandstone wall by late morning. It was the natural boundary between Lumbridge and Al Kharid. The sun was high and it was warm when they finally came into the city limits.

The city was like none of the other cities of Misthalin and Kandarin that she was used to. The buildings were made of rough sandstone, and all looked well weathered. Many of the buildings were lined with scaffolding for either repairs or to simple help hold the building up. Colorful tents were dotted among the buildings.

"Well, here we are," Ozan said, stopped and looking around at the city that had once been his home. "Al Kharid, home sweet home. Sort of…come on, let's head to the palace." Ozan started off through the streets, and she made sure to stay close to him, not wishing to lose him in the crowded streets.

They passed through a large open market, where stalls of traders lined the walls of the buildings. Large swathes of fabric stretched between the buildings over the market, providing everyone with shade from the sun. Everyone in the area talked over each other as people bargained over prices of goods. As Arianna looked around, she noticed that many of the stalls were lined with goods from all around Gielinor. She recognized silver goods from Ardougne, furs and fine ropes from the Fremmenik Provinces, and array of different foods from the local area. The market was filled with people, and the two thieves had to weave their way through. She was tempted to pick a pocket here and there, but she reminded herself that they were in a hurry, and with the prince's life at risk, a few coins wasn't worth it.

The crowds thinned as they left the market area and headed through a large arch way, where a large building came into view, she assumed it was the palace.

"And here we are," Ozan said, looking up at the grand building almost fondly. "Let's go."

The two thieves stepped into the near empty courtyard of the palace. Only a handful guards stood around, and all eyes were on the two of them.

The guard eyes them as they drew near the large set of doors that led into the palace. "The palace is under lockdown by order of the Emir. Please move along."

But this didn't deter either of the thieves.

"We have very urgent business," said Ozan. "We must speak with Spymaster Osman immediately."

The guard pulled his gaze from Arianna and put his attention on Ozan. "Oh, you 'must', must you? And I suppose my orders mean nothing, hm?" said the guard, snapping a bit. "No one is to come in! No exceptions!"

Arianna sighed, irritated. It was always guards like this that put a damper on plans, guard that take their jobs all too seriously. "We have information that Osman and the Emir need to hear. It's about the kidnap of Prince Ali."

The guard looked back to her, shocked. "What is this nonsense? The prince is safely touring around Lumbridge."

"No, he's not!" Ozan said, beginning to get annoyed himself. "We saw him being womanhandled into a boar headed for the desert just a few days ago. And if I'm not mistaken, his kidnappers were wearing blue and gold- the colors of Menaphos!"

"I guess that your paymasters haven't shared that little bit of intel with you, huh?" Arianna added. "Weren't you the least bit curious about why the palace was put under lockdown?"

The guard glanced at both of them, surprised to be hearing this from the two outsiders. "So, it's spreading dissent and hysteria, is it? You two are some of those pro-war nuts, trying to stir up trouble? Go on, tell me some more! Make me arrest you!"

Arianna smiled a bit. "Yes, do that!" she said, trying to seem more confrontational. "Arrest us!"

Ozan glanced over to her uncertain as to what she was trying to accomplish, until he caught on. "Lock us up! Take up to Osman as traitors!"

The guard started reaching for his sword, the reaction she was hoping for, but he caught on. "Ha! Nice try…you aren't fooling me; you're not getting in that way either! I wouldn't arrest you even if you were the world-renowned thief, Ozan, and you were trying to break into the Emir's very own bedroom to pinch all of his left socks!"*****

Ozan started at the man in disbelief and let out a frustrated sigh. "But I am Ozan!"

The guard laughed. "Now I've heard it all. Brilliant. Wait until the others hear about this one. And in the meantime, you two clear off!"

Ozan sighed and led Arianna away from the stubborn guard. It wasn't until they cleared the courtyard did he speak again. "Damn, there's no way we're getting in the front door," he said, glancing back to the guard who still had his gaze on them. "But that guard gave me an idea. We're going to break in and find Osman for ourselves. It's not like I haven't broken into the palace before."

His nonchalant tone left Arianna staring at him. "And how the hell are we going to break into the palace, Ozan? I mean, just look," she said, motioning back to the courtyard, "the place is crawling with guards thanks to this lockdown."

He just flashed her one of his brilliant smiles. "I know just the way, we just need to go to the crafting shop, northeast of here."

"How-" she started, but was cut off as he grabbed her hand and began pulling her back through Al Kharid.

***When I came to this bit of the quest and the guard said this, I couldn't stop laughing. My roommate just stared at me with the weirdest look on her face until I was able to calm myself down.**

**So, this is the end of the small chapters. The last two chapters were only twelve pages hand written. The next one, fifteen pages all on its own!**

**Cheers!**


	9. Chapter 9

They cut their way back through the market place. Ozan casually walked by the Fremennik trader stall, and the vender was none the wise that he was two lengths of rope shy of what he had a few minutes previous. Ozan smiled at Arianna as he tucked the ropes into his pack. "These'll come in handy soon enough."

They passed through another stone arch, and to the outskirts of the city. Here tents were set up, and the merchants made Arianna feel as though she had to keep a close eye on her coin purse. They passed one merchant who offered them a tray of gems. Even with just a quick glance, she could tell that they were just finely cut pieces of colored glass. She quickened her pace some as the hammer and chisel sign of the crafting shop came into view.

The shop had a damp, earth smell, likely from all the clay that had been worked on within the building. The room was filled with shelves, all lined with needles, spools of thread, moulds of all kinds, and various other crafting supplies. A man stood behind a counter, hunched over a ring, adding delicate work to it.

Ozan took the lead through the shop, heading for the stairs set at the back of shop.

The shop owner finally noticed the two newcomers in his establishment. "Can I help you?"

Ozan shook his head. "Just passing through," he said, and the two thieves disappeared up the stairs before the owner could put in another word.

The upstairs room turned out to be a dark, cluttered store room. But Ozan took no time in the room and started up a ladder off in the corner. He pushed open a trapdoor as he came to the top, flooding the room with the bright, desert sunshine. He stepped up on to the roof and she followed him.

The city buildings stretched on before them. Off in the distance to the south loomed the palace.

"Ozan, how are we possibly going to get over there?" Arianna asked, very skeptical, even of Ozan's talents.

He smiled. "Just follow me, Ari." He turned and dashed across a plank, stretching from their roof top to an adjacent roof.

She hesitated. The plank was barely six inches wide and looked as though it had been there for ages. She glanced at the street thirty feet below. She certainly didn't like the thought of falling among the shoppers below. She took a slight step back away from the ledge.

"Come on, Ari," called Ozan from across the way. "You can do this. We have to tell the emir of what happened to the prince."

She cursed softly to herself. She knew that Ozan needed her if he was going to get Osman to listen to him.

She took a deep breath and dashed across the plank, not wishing to linger any longer than she had to be above the street.

Ozan just smiled as she made it to the other side. "You aren't afraid of heights, are you, Ari?"

"Very much so," she said, grateful to be back on a roof once more.

Ozan chuckled. "Well, you can use this to get over your fears. There will be more of this to come. A lot more."

"But Ozan-"

"No time to waste, Ari. Come on," he said, cutting her off and turning. He jumped off the side of the building.

She quickly stepped up to the side to see him land on a lower roof after sliding down an awning. He showed no sign of waiting for her, so she took her jump.

The awning slowed her fall, depositing her on to another roof top patio.

Ozan smiled. "See? Not bad, right?"

"Yeah, just great," she said shakily. "But you've made it," he said, "and there's still more to go. Come on." He turned and dashed through an arch way, into the home they had landed on.

The room was full of baskets over flowing with laundry. An older woman stood in the corner, handing up clothes up for drying. She turned as the two thieves came running through.

"Excuse us, coming through," said Ozan, and was out of the room through the window.

Arianna ran up to the window to follow, but stopped as she saw him balancing his way across a clothes line to an adjoining building.

"Get off my laundry!" shouted the woman behind her, seeing what Ozan was doing.

Not wanting to lose Ozan or deal with the irate Kharidian, Arianna hauled herself out of the window. She put a foot on the thick rope, and was surprised to find how sturdy it was. She got her balance and took a handful of large steps to get to the opposite rooftop.

Ozan stood, waiting beside a ladder for her.

"You're crazy, Ozan," she said. "No one else would do this."

He gave her another one of those smiles. "Of course not, but that's why I'm the best. Now, up you go," he said, nodding up the ladder.

She started up the ladder, glad to have a conventional means of travel. She came up to a small piece of scaffolding. She moved aside so that Ozan could pull himself up, and looked around, not finding where to go from there.

"Dead end, Ozan," she said.

"No, you just aren't looking hard enough. If you want to be a great thief, Ari, then you'll have think…unconventionally. Figure out the rest of the way."

"I thought that we didn't have time to waste. We need to get to Osman," Arianna retorted.

"Yes, we do, and if you get off course, I'll steer you the right way. It'll be a learning curve for you."

She sighed and looked around. There was no ladder to reach the next level of roofs, and the gap between their roof and the neighboring one was too great to jump.

But she did take notice of wooden planks that stuck out of the wall. The wall stretched from their vantage point to the other roof, forming an archway to those walking below. Four planks stuck out from the wall, spanning the distance.

Arianna stepped up onto the short wall, then onto one of the planks. It creaked, but held her weight. She moved across the rest of the way without any incident.

She stepped off on to the other roof, followed closely by Ozan.

"Good eye," he said and started up another tall ladder.

Arianna looked over the edge of the building. They were already three stories up, and the ladder looked as though it went up another two stories. She swallowed her fear and climbed up after Ozan.

The roof she came up to was large, but had no other way off, other than the ladder they just came up. There were no adjacent buildings at this height.

"Ozan, looked like we'll have to go back down and look for another way to the palace," she said and turned to look at her friend, just in time to see him get a running start and jump off the roof, hurdling towards another building across the street and two stories down. He tumbled across the roof and stood, unharmed. "OZAN! YOU'RE CRAZY IF YOU THINK I WILL JUMP OFF THIS ROOF!" she shouted at him.

"It'll be fine, just make sure you tumble. You'll be fine, come on and jump."

Her heart hammered. The planks and the clothesline were huge steps for her, but jumping off one building to another was, well, crazy.

_'But Prince Ali needs you,'_ whispered a small voice in her head. _'Ozan needs you too, to vouch for him. Otherwise Osman will lock him up on sight.'_

She paced back and forth, glanced over the ledge at Ozan, who was looking back at her expectantly.

_'Thieves like the two of you need to look out for each other.'_

She sighed and took as many steps back as the roof would allow. She got up her will and ran forward, not letting her mind think about the consequences should she falter. She took a mighty leap off the building, and within moments she was tumbling across the lower roof. She came to a stop and gasped for breath; landing had exacerbated her bruised side.

Ozan knelt beside her. "You okay, Ari?"

She nodded and, after a few moments, stood. "You're crazy, Ozan," she said once again.

"Yes, I know," he said. "Now, come on, we can't be wasting more time." He walked over to the edge of the roof and climbed down using an old rug that hung off the ledge.

She followed and found herself standing on some wooden scaffolding. Ozan hadn't waited for her. He swung himself across a set of bars to the other end of the scaffolding. After the heights they had been at, being only one story high was almost comforting. She swung herself across the bar after Ozan.

The buildings here were close together, barely three feet separared the scaffolding from the next building.

"Think you can manage this jump?" Ozan teased.

"Ha, ha," she said as she stepped across the narrow gap.

The building they stood on now was on the edge of a cluster of buildings. Off to their left stood the palace, so very close now. But they had no place to go from here. The closest building had a large distance between it and them. The distance was too great for them to jump, and with not tall structures or planks stretching across the distance, they had no way to get to the other building.

"So, Ozan, where do we go from here?"

He pointed to the building across the gap, to the scaffolding that lined the wall. "That's where we're headed."

"And how are we going to get there?"

He walked her to the edge of the roof and showed her a taunt awning that was below them. "A running start, jump off of that, and it will bounce us across the distance."

"And you, of course, are going to be going first, right? To show how it's done," said Arianna, doubting it could be done.

Ozan smiled. "Yes, of course, Ari," he said, catching on to her doubt. He stepped back and, after calculating the distance, he took his running start. He jumped and hit the awning. The taunt fabric acted like a spring, projecting Ozan across the gap. He caught himself on the scaffolding and hauled himself up. "See?" he called back to her. "Easy."

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled to herself as she turned her back to him for her own running start. She paused, steeling herself for another jump. At this rate, her fear of heights would be gone in no time. She ran to the edge and took her jump. There was a short free fall before she hit the awning. The direction of her momentum changed, sending her towards the scaffolding and Ozan. She reached out to catch herself on the scaffolding, just as Ozan had done.

But something was different with her jump. She hadn't gotten as far as Ozan, and she was already losing height. She frantically reached for something to stop her fall. She missed the scaffolding by mere inches.

Ozan saw the fall before she did and reached down and caught hold of her hand. She hung there a few moments as Ozan braced himself before pulling her up to the safety of the scaffolding. "That was a close call, Ari," he said.

She sat, leaning against the stone wall, shaking as the adrenalin pumped through her body. "Never again, Ozan," she said, trying to gather herself back together.

"Oh, don't worry, we're almost there," he said. "You just have to trust me, dear Ari. You trust me, right?"

She nodded.

He smiled and offered his hand, pulling her back to her feet. "We just have a little further," he said, nodding to holes in the brickwork of the wall. "Go first, I'll make sure you don't fall again."

She nodded a thanks and found a good hand holds, pulling herself up the wall and onto the roof. She took a moment to look around as Ozan joined her.

The palace was just across from them, between them, though, stretched the largest gap they had encountered.

"So, what's the plan for this one?"

"Remember this?" he said, pulled out one of the coils of rope from his pack.

"What do you have in mind for that? There is no way we can get that rope across the-" she stopped as he pulled an arrow from the quiver, tying the rope to it.

She had previously seen his firing power with that bow of his, and knew he could easily get the rope to the palace. He then drew his bow, and notched the arrow. He pulled back the bow string back, aimed, then released. The arrow sailed beautifully across the gap and embedded itself into the stone. Ozan tied the other end of the rope to an ornate wooden structure on the roof with them. He smiled and gesture for her to go first.

She sighed, putting her trust in Ozan and the knots he tied, and took hold of the rope. She hooked her legs up over the rope, and pulled herself hand over hand to the ledge of the palace. Once safely across, Ozan made his way over.

She carefully held herself against the wall of the palace, trying her best to keep away from the ledge. The window beside her was shuttered closed and beyond that, the brickwork had a few, small pieces missing, enough for them to climb up to the roof. She caught Ozan's attention, then nodded to the brickwork. Understanding her plan, he nodded back. She ducked under the window and crept along the ledge. Ozan started to follow, but stopped, staring at the window.

"Hold up, there's a voice coming from the window. I think it' Osman," Ozan whispered.

"What?" Arianna whisper back.

"I think-" he started, but he quickly stopped himself as the shutters of the window were pulled open. Both thieves pushed themselves against the wall, hoping that they were out of view from the person on the other side.

"Ah, there," said the man, "that's much better."

They heard him move away, and Arianna was glad that he couldn't hear how hard her heart was pounding. She glanced over to Ozan, who looked just about as panicked as she felt.

'That was him,' he mouthed to her, not wanting to make any noise and draw attention to themselves.

'Who?' she mouthed back.

'Osman,' he replied. They heard continued voices from the room beyond. They both scooted closer to the window and eavesdropped on what was being said.

**Ask and you shall receive. I got a review today from someone saying that they were waiting for the next chapter, and I was planning on posting a chapter today anyways, so here you go. Good timing.**

**Sorry this took so long to get out, there was a lot I wanted to have in this chapter and I wasn't sure how I wanted to end this (I was trying to figure out how to cover the conversation they overhear, but after many attempts, I decided that it will be saved for next chapter). **

**So, there you go. We're almost through Stolen Hearts.**

**Feel free to review. Thanks!**

**P.S. For anyone who may be interested, I have started a World of Warcraft fanfic. It's based on my character, telling her back story. So, feel free to make your way over there. Thanks. **


End file.
